Vending machine

A Vending Machine is an equipment dispenser used to obtain new weapons, gear and ammo, and for selling unwanted or extra weapons and equipment. Vending machines are located strategically throughout the game and are available in each zone. Depending on the size of the zone there may be multiple locations. Sub-zones usually have vending machines located right at the transition point. Ammo and Med Vendors are also often found just prior to encounters with major story arc bosses, allowing the opportunity to resupply before a big fight. Vending machines are often referred to as 'vendors'.

Contents

Gameplay Mechanics

There are three types of vending machine found within the game; Weapons, Ammunition and Medical. While each type of vending machine is restricted in what it can sell, any type of item can be sold to any machine. The exceptions are ammunition and insta-health vials, which can not be sold once purchased or picked up.

All vending machines change items for sale every 20 minutes of real time (although for some reason the inventories actually reset with about 30 seconds left, This is fixed in Borderlands 2). Each machine offers an "Item Of The Day", which is often a rarer and more powerful item than regular stock, at an inflated price. Very rarely the Item Of The Day will be a legendary item.

As the Vault Hunters progress through Pandora, the vendors offer higher level items in higher level areas. The item level of a vending machine is tied to the level of the zone and will not increase above a preset level.

Every time a player accesses a vending machine a recorded voice announcement will broadcast from it, advertising various advantages of the various types of items that can be bought.

When accessing a machine, three options are presented: Buy, Sell, and Buyback. In addition all item lists are sortable by: all, type, brands, items.

The purchase price of any item differs from the selling price by a factor of 7.

Buyback

The Buyback Option stores the 20 most recently sold items until the player leaves the zone or quits the game.

If a 21st item is sold, the oldest item in the Buyback list will be lost.

Each item in the Buyback list is available at any vending machine, of any type, in that particular zone.

The Buyback list is unaffected by the 20 minute cycle of new merchandise.

In multiplayer games every participant has his/her own list.

Buyback is at selling price, not the 7 times inflated buying price.

Dollar Cap

Borderlands

Visible cap is 9,999,999 $

Invisible cap is 2,147,483,648 $ (which equals to 2^31)

Borderlands 2 and Borderlands:The Pre-Sequel

Cap is 99,999,999 $ and is absolute (no invisible cap). Selling items past this point is counterproductive as it will not increase the cap.

Weapon Vending Machine

Weapon Vending Machines, or "weapon vendors", are provided by Marcus Kincaid and sell only weapons. Those vendors are marked as "$" (dollar sign) on the map and sport a burgundy and gold color scheme and are boldly emblazoned "MARCUS Munitions, Inc." They can be found across Pandora and stock a random, level-based stock of munitions.

In Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, weapon vendors have dark-red color scheme, are emblazoned Guns in Space and YOU WON'T NEED TO HEAR 'EM SCREAM! slogan.

Quotes

Ammunition Vending Machine

Ammunition Vending Machines, or "ammo vendors", are also provided by Marcus Kincaid and offer every type of ammunition as well as SDUs to increase the maximum amount of ammunition a character can carry. Those vendors are marked as "$" (dollar sign) on the map. The machines sport a green and white color scheme and are boldly emblazoned "MARCUS Munitions, Inc."

In Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, ammunition vendors have green color scheme, are emblazoned BULLETS Etc. and GOOD TO THE LAST SHOT slogan.

Pricing

In Borderlands, prices are fixed regardless of the location or the game mode.

In Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, prices are location dependent; low-level maps are much cheaper. For example, in Normal Mode ammo clip for assault rifle costs $5 in Three Horns Divide and $283 in Hero's Pass. If low on ammunition and money Vault Hunters, regardless of their level, can switch back to Normal Mode and restock for a fraction of the cost they would normally had to pay.

Quotes

Medical Vending Machine

Medical Vending Machines, or "med vendors", are operated and maintained by Dr. Zed and offer several helpful items for sale. The machines sport a red, white and blue color scheme. They are boldly emblazoned with Dr. Zed's face and the label "dr. Zed: come get your fix today!". Med vendors are indicated on the game map by a green cross symbol. Most med vendors are in open areas like outposts, however some are in safe areas such as the one in New Haven outside Dr. Zed's clinic. In the Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, the med vendors around Jakobs Cove have a mustache drawn on Dr. Zed's face and a 'N' is taped over the 'Z' to make them say Dr. Ned. These vending machines also broadcast different voice messages.

In Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, med vendors are operated and maintained by Nurse Nina. They have white and red color scheme, are emblazoned with Nurse Nina's poster, HEALZ! and HURTS SO GOOD! slogan.

Quotes

Jakobs Vending Machine

The Jakobs Vending Machine is located in Jakobs Cove and becomes available after completing several key missions. It is unique in that it is the only machine of its kind. It sports Jakobs Company color scheme, of brown and gold, and is boldly emblazoned JAKOBS Legacy Firearms, and pictures a child wearing a pith helmet and holding a large caliber double-barrelled rifle.

When the machine is accessed the announcement made is in a different voice than Marcus'.

It does not sell only Jakobs weapons, it can sell weapons from any manufacturer. It is only available for a limited time.

Quotes

Torgue Token Vendor

The Torgue Token Vendors are vending machines exclusive to Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage DLC. The machines sport a bright yellow and orange color scheme and are boldly emblazoned with Torgue logo. These vendors are operated and maintained by the Torgue Corporation. Only Torgue-branded weapons and items are offered and Torgue Tokens are the only means of payment accepted. Item of The Day is always of legendary rarity. Having in mind how difficult it is to acquire these tokens, price tag (615 TT, regardless of the game mode) on these items is almost prohibitively high. Furthermore, Torgue Token Vendors only sell Torgue-branded items and do not accept unwanted or extra weapons and equipment Vault Hunters might have for sale.

Quotes

Notes

All things are bought at seven times their real value. Ex: a Minor Healing Kit costs $140, sells for 140/7=$20. Unsellable items such as ammo SDUs, ammo and insta-health vials have this trait.

There are challenges associated with buying and selling items from vending machines. Characters can accumulate up to four ranks of each challenge chain for buying items or selling items via vending machines.

Torgue Token Vendor machine Welcome messages exist within the game files but are not used.

Trivia

The Fyrestone medical vendor's announcement is originally spoken directly by Zed (who is in the room), instead of an on-board speaker system. After the player has reached New Haven in the story and Zed relocates to there, the Fyrestone medical vendor's announcement is still spoken directly by Zed, as if he was still behind the operation table.

The medical vending machines in Jakobs Cove have been modified to say "Ned" instead of "Zed", with the exception of the one in Dead Haven.

Despite the fact that the Vault Hunters fix the Jakobs vending machine, it will eventually stop working again once they have left the area and subsequently returned. This is most likely just a small glitch. It has yet to be fixed as of Patch 1.4.1

In the monitor screen of the Jakobs Vending Machine, the texture sheet of it can be seen. This is either a small easter egg or it was mistakenly left in by developers.

Occasionally, vendors will advertise items that they do not sell at that type of vendor. For instance, ammo vendors will sometimes announce "A sniper without a Sniper COM is just a guy with a gun. Find the COM that is right for you," when they do not sell class mods (COMs). They may also say, "The best defense is not a good offense, it's a good defense! So get yourself a shield!" when they do not sell shields either. It is possible that the ammo vendors were originally meant to sell ammo and medical equipment in place of Dr. Zed's vendors.